Chapter Thirty-Seven
Hattie woke again when Luke got up to let the dogs out. He came back with a cup of tea. ‘No rush to get up,’ he said, handing it to her. ‘Jason and Carole are still asleep. At least Jason is. He’s snoring like a train. I’ll leave you to have your tea in peace.’
‘You’re very welcome to have yours in here with me,’ she said. ‘Otherwise you’ve got to wander around in your PJs.’ They were jogging bottoms and a T-shirt, she realised. Which told her he didn’t usually wear anything in bed and had also put on extra layers to share a bed with her.
‘No. I’m going to clear up a bit. I don’t want you to have to lift a finger this morning.’
Not only did Luke clear up the kitchen, he set the table for breakfast, and when Jason and Carole appeared – quite late – he cooked them a Full English, together with pastries and good bread from the van, and made an exquisite pot of coffee.
Luke was showing Jason something in his cabin (Hattie hoping that Xander wasn’t too caught out by the visit), so Carole and Hattie were alone.
‘You’re so lucky having Luke,’ said Carole, adding butter to a croissant. ‘He knows his way round a kitchen.’
‘I knew he could cook before I got together with him.’
‘Very wise. And you don’t mind the dogs? Always begging.’
‘Frank and Fearless don’t really beg,’ said Hattie, offended on their behalf. ‘They just like to be around when there’s food in case they can be helpful hoovering up the crumbs.’
Carole laughed. ‘As long as you don’t mind them, I suppose they’re all right. And are wedding bells in the offing?’
Hattie winced inwardly. ‘Moving in has been enough of a commitment for the time being.’ She couldn’t let Carole continue this line of questioning in case she contradicted something Luke had said to her. ‘Can I make you some tea? I’m gasping for some myself.’
‘I’m on coffee,’ said Carole, raising one of Rose’s very pretty mugs as if in a toast. ‘But you carry on.’
Hattie wondered how long she could spin out making a cup of tea when to her relief she heard the men come in. They were talking and then Luke’s phone rang. ‘Excuse me,’ he said, staying in the hallway to take his call.
Jason came into the sitting room, which doubled as a dining room. ‘Still some pastries left, I see.’
‘Do have something,’ said Hattie, returning to the table. ‘They are so delicious. We’re very lucky to have a van that brings them practically to our door.’
Luke came in. ‘More hot drinks?’
‘I’m absolutely stuffed!’ said Carole. ‘What are we going to do this morning?’
‘I really hate to be boring,’ said Hattie.
‘But I have to do a bit of work. The downside to being self-employed. I hope to be able to join you for lunch but I can’t promise.
’ She had actually promised herself that she wouldn’t join them, but didn’t feel she could make it a definite no.
She just needed some time away from the pressure of entertaining.
‘Oh!’ said Carole. ‘That’s a shame! Surely when you work for yourself you can choose your own hours?’
‘In Hattie’s case, working for herself means she often has to work at weekends,’ said Luke. ‘We’ve been lucky that she’s been able to take off as much time as she has.’
Hattie gave him a very warm smile. His support made her feel properly appreciated.
‘And I don’t expect Xan wants to come on a healthy walk,’ he said.
‘If you like the idea I thought we might walk along the canal for a bit and look at the round houses. They used to be lengthmen’s cottages, in the old days.
There’s one that needs a bit of work. I might tender for it.
I’d like to be more home-based for a bit.
Driving up and down to Cornwall is exhausting. ’
‘Are you sure you won’t come with us?’ asked Carole a little while later, when they’d pulled on their Barbours and Le Chameau wellingtons which looked suspiciously new, as if bought for their stay with Luke.
‘I’ve a feeling the boys are going to bore me silly talking about architecture and traditional building methods. ’
‘Get Luke to take you to my friend Rose’s shop,’ Hattie suggested, determined not to sacrifice her time alone and, indeed, time to work, which had been piling up frighteningly. ‘She has some lovely things. There are quite a few samples round here.’ She gestured. ‘I can’t resist her stuff.’
After Hattie had got through quite a lot of paperwork, she made some tea and thought about her options.
Rose was right, she didn’t want to buy just anywhere out of panic, but she couldn’t stay with Luke for ever and renting was expensive.
It would eat into her deposit terrifyingly quickly.
She sat at the table with her notebook and pen, doodling, hoping it would create a solution to her problems. Then Xander joined her.
‘What’s going on?’ he asked.
Hattie sighed. ‘Trying to work out where we’re going to live. I’m sure if your mum realised that I’m not very good at making a home for you, she wouldn’t let you stay.’
‘Why can’t we stay here? Luke seems quite happy.’
‘Erm…’ Hattie thought how best to explain to Xander the subtle and not entirely logical reasons she wasn’t keen to rely on Luke indefinitely.
‘I won’t be here for too much longer anyway. When Mum moves back to England I’ll be back with her.’
‘Are you looking forward to that?’ Hattie asked, feeling that Xander wanted to talk about it.
‘I am, and I like Tom. He makes her laugh.’
Hattie smiled, feeling like a fairy godmother – which, in a way, she was. ‘It’s because she’s found her person.’
‘But you haven’t found your person?’
Hattie shook her head.
‘Shame. I think Luke’s found his.’
Hattie frowned, not quite sure what Xander meant. Had Luke confided in him? About April? It was possible. She pushed the thought out of her mind. ‘Really? Well, that’s great. But I’m supposed to be working so I’d better get on. I could drop you off at the pub for lunch, otherwise it’s leftovers.’
‘Happy with leftovers. My mum says you’re an over-caterer.’
‘Guilty as charged,’ said Hattie, ‘now let me get on!’
Rose called in at about three with a batch of cheese scones.
‘This is a thank you for sending Carole to the shop today,’ she said. ‘She spent a fortune! It was partly because Luke and her husband had gone off somewhere and left her there for ages. But she was very happy with her haul.’
Hattie laughed. ‘That’s good! But you didn’t need to bake for me.’
‘Well, I only really made these so I could hear how things were going,’ Rose admitted.
‘I knew that,’ said Hattie, buttering a scone ‘just to make sure they’re OK for the guests’. ‘But I don’t mind telling you: Luke is a really good actor, it turns out, and makes it look as if we’re a proper couple.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Rose.
‘Well, you know, he makes the little gestures, that hand on my back when he’s squeezing behind me, the occasional hand on my knee – but only very briefly… I think even Xander thinks there’s something going on although he knows we’re not together.’
‘Hmm,’ said Rose. ‘Well, keep up the good work!’
‘We’re in tonight, but we’ve decided to get a takeaway, so I’ve just got to do a roast tomorrow for lunch and then they’ll go. It’s been exhausting!’
‘I bet it is.’
‘It’s not the physical thing of looking after them. If they were my real friends, I wouldn’t notice that. It’s the fielding the awkward questions, and…’ She paused. ‘You know.’
‘It’s like when my mother-in-law comes to stay.’
This made Hattie smile. ‘At least Luke has been brilliant.’
Rose put an arm round Hattie and hugged her. ‘I’d better go. I don’t want to be caught here.’
‘Thank you so much for the scones. They’re just the thing to fill that hungry half-hour between lunch ending and dinner beginning.’
Rose was laughing now. ‘It’s not that bad!’
Luke and Hattie stood at the door watching Carole and Jason reverse down the drive. Luke had his arm round Hattie’s shoulders and they were both smiling and waving. When at last they were out of sight, Luke removed his arm. ‘Come on in. You need tea!’
‘We’ve only lived together for a few hours and already you know me so well.’
‘I knew you needed frequent tea before we lived together.’ He steered her back into the house and she collapsed on to the sofa.
When he had brought her tea and a fancy chocolate biscuit from a little hamper that Jason and Carole had brought, he sat down in the armchair.
Hattie couldn’t help remembering how the previous evening they had been sharing the sofa with Carole while they all watched a film.
To save space, Luke had put his arm round her and Hattie found herself resting her head against his chest. A little while later she awoke with a start.
But because it would have looked odd if she’d moved away, she’d stayed where she was for the rest of the movie.
She had been gently teased for nodding off and blamed the brandy.
‘I’ve known Jason for years, as a colleague, and although he’s a good bloke, he wasn’t the easiest house guest. He seemed to be quite demanding.’
‘He was fine!’
‘And Carole was quite nosy.’
‘Honestly, her questions only put me on the spot a bit because I didn’t know what you’d said, but they were quite normal questions.’ Even as she said the words, Hattie felt herself relax, knowing she wouldn’t be asked anything more about potential weddings or whether she wanted children.
‘Well, you did me proud,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t have asked for a better girlfriend.’
But she wasn’t his girlfriend, Hattie thought in response. And based on what Xander had said, it seemed April was. Hattie felt a sudden rush of jealousy. She coughed and shook her head, trying to banish the feeling. It was a huge relief when Xander came in.
‘Have they gone?’ he asked.
Hattie nodded. ‘The coast is clear.’
‘They were OK people, but I just never know what to say to strangers,’ said Xander. He smiled. ‘Still, the food was great, Hattie!’
‘I can cook,’ she said with dignity. ‘But I don’t do it often. Or at least, not to that extent.’
‘Now, what can I do for you in return,’ Luke said. ‘All that cooking should have a proper reward.’
‘A cold beef sandwich a bit later would be pretty good,’ said Hattie.
‘I was thinking something a bit more than that.’ Luke’s expression was serious suddenly. ‘Please stay here while you’re house hunting.’
At that moment Hattie was very tempted but if he and April were developing a relationship, having her in his home would be very awkward.
‘I’m very grateful, but it’s not necessary.
I’ll work something out. And don’t forget, tomorrow this house has to be turned back into a bachelor pad.
All the pretty props will have to go back. ’
‘I think I might negotiate with Rose and keep some of them,’ said Luke. ‘Those big squashy cushions are comfortable.’
‘Rose will be delighted.’ She yawned theatrically to change the subject. ‘I think I need a film.’
‘Just so you can go to sleep? You could just go to bed and have a proper nap,’ said Luke, but Hattie shook her head.
‘I’d sleep for too long if I did that. I just want something to doze in front of.’
While she adjusted cushions and made herself comfortable, she allowed herself to consider Luke’s offer of a home, just until she found her own house. She found she very much wanted to accept.
Hattie was supremely content, with a dog’s head on each leg.
They had just settled down in front of something Xander recommended and drowsiness was overtaking her when Luke’s phone went.
He looked at it and got up. As he left the room, he said, ‘Sorry, April, now is not a good time. Can I call you back?’
The words sent a jolt through Hattie and she closed her eyes tightly to stop the sudden tears escaping.